‘HBC 366’ is a product of a controlled breeding program carried out by the inventors in the Yakima Valley of Washington state. ‘HBC 366’ was one of several seedlings resulting from a cross made in 2001 of female parent ‘YCR-5’ (patented as “YCR Accession No. 5” U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,404) and male parent ‘YCR 136’ (not patented). A single plant of ‘HBC 366’ was selected in 2003, and in 2007 was expanded to 70 plants, which were planted in the area of Toppenish, Wash. The plants were observed and evaluated for several years, and in 2009 were expanded for further observation and evaluation in the Toppenish, Wash. area. A three acre test plot of ‘HBC 366’ was established in 2009. Throughout several generations of asexual propagation, ‘HBC 366’ has been observed to retain its distinctive characteristics and remain true to type. HBC 366 is distinguished from other known hop cultivars by its high total oils, its heavy solid cones with large amounts of lupulin, and by the unusual yellow color (Yellow green 154C) of its immature leaves during the spring—a leaf characteristic similar to the Comet hop variety. HBC 366 has a distinctive citrus aromatic property.
HBC 366 is distinguishable from its parent plants (YCR-5 and YCR 136). HBC 366 is distinguishable from its male parent YCR-136 with flowers that develop into mature hop cones without producing pollen, while flowers of YCR 136 produce pollen without developing into mature hop cones.
TABLE 1sets forth some of the distinguishing characteristics of HBC 366as compared to its female parent YCR-5:HBC 366YCR-5Alpha Acids %14.0% to 17.0%15.0% to 17.0%Beta Acids %4.0% to 5.0%4.5% to 5.5%Cohumulone %35.0% to 38.0%24.0% to −26.0%Total oils2.4 to 2.7 mL/100 g cones1.0 to 2.0 mL/100 g cones